Last tasted in 2011. This was a very nice wine that has rewarded proper aging. Blue fruit and floral notes on the nose. Boysenberry on the palate with supporting spice and forest notes. A solid and intriguing wine, but lacking a bit in depth and presence. Moderate acidity with a medium finish. Excellent QPR. I do not think the wine will develop much additional depth with extra cellaring, but they should last a few more years without a problem.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Floral, well balanced, smooth tannins, elegant, dark fruits, slight oak, leather. Medium length. At 13 years, this inexpensive wine is really drinking beautifully.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Too acidic with alcoholic aromas. Calmed down some with time but still alcoholic fumes. These bottles have been inconsistent with some excellent and some not. This one was not.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
nose - juicy sour fruit, earthy mouth - lively fruit forward and quite acidic/sour, which was pefect for food, though made it a tougher stand alone wine. for me the 2007 clos del rey is the benchmark.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I purchased a case of this wine in early 2015. We enjoyed thoroughly in prior years. The bottle needed severe decanting though; it was loaded with sentiment and I used cheese cloth to double decant. After decanting this was a really nice wine. Deep, luscious flavors of dark berries and earth with silky tannins. A touch of acidity seems to signal that we should drink everything by the end of 2015.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opaque rosewood color. This is a big, oaky, vanilla-saturated fruit bomb on both the nose and the palate. I'm usually not too prissy about a wine being a bit "internationally" styled, but this is preposterous; the wine is totally unbalanced and aggressive. The palate tastes like jammy acetone, as though someone dumped a bottle of nail polish remover into a bucket of grape juice. My remaining two bottles will be "gifted" to people I loathe. Drink never.
Stewed blueberry on the nose. Had over two days. Much better on the first day. This is ready to drink. Thick and jammy. A well made wine, but one with a fair amount of winemaker intervention. Good structure. Long finish
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark, brooding, thick and concentrated. Dark purple. Impressive. Dark fruits plums, almost jammy, but soft tannins keep it well balanced and tasty. Earthy and long, fruity finish. Got better after being opened an hour. Big hit with Steve M. and Bob.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Red fruits, minerals, earth, smoke. Dark purple, viscous and chewy. Needed 2 hrs decant and then was very enjoyable. Nothing spectacular, and would have enjoyed it more if cost was under $28.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Majorité de Carignan 80%), Grenache et Syrah complète! Nez qui picotte, ça sent l'alcool à plein...il titre 16.2%!!! En bouche, un peu guidoune et sucré, amertume en millieu de bouche. Longueur apréciable mais sur la chauffe! Très ordinaire en ce moment et ne mérite pas le 94 de Parker! PS: Certain mentionne un temps en carafe d'au moins 5 heures pour l'assagir, celui-ci a été un POP N POUR malheureusement! Voici ce qu'en dit David Schildknecht June 2009 "The 2004 Cotes du Roussillon Clos del Rey is 80% Carignan (the rest, again, Grenache) and even more darkly-hued in flavor than its 2006 counterpart. Roasted meats, toasted nuts, and concentrated yet fresh blackberry are mingled with iodine and crushed stone and there are savory, saline, meaty, and peaty dimensions to the finish – which practically comes barreling at you – that take one far from considerations of fruits and berries. Even more than with the 2006, one has to emphasize that not only is there nothing superficial, there is in fact a certain handsome austerity to this wine, an uncompromising tribute to an underdog among grapes and to the amazing terroirs of Maury. I hope to have a chance to revisit it 8-10 years from now. "
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Firm, tannic, concentrated and opening up well. A complete, rewarding, fulfilling wine. Fruitiness and sumi ink with barrels, several things from the forrest and farm yard. Full bodied and still a little "grim". Brings together ALL the best aspects of the classic style with that of the modern. This wine is aiming for the stars. Will give pleasure to both modernists and traditionalists :-)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for an hour and drank over three hours. Tight and hostile at first, with lots of tannins. Smelled of purple bubble gum and cloying elements. Smoothed out over the course of the evening. Nose remained somewhat sweet, with earthy qualities. On the palate, chewy and savory elements, mineral balance, sweetish tannins, with a long, spice and pepper-laden finish. No fruity or floral elements. Enjoyable once it settled down.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted. Very interesting wine. Deep purple color. Intense and no evidence from the color of its age. Nose took some time to develop, but eventually it did. Earthy nose, sort of woody. Taste for me is better defined by what it is not. No big fruit, no floral notes, but sweet in a way. Mineral tastes, but most of all, very balanced. Each flavor transitions smoothly to the next. Acidity is there and there is still nice structure to allow additional aging , IMHO. Wonderful finish. More of a wine to sit and study than to serve with a meal. I think I need another bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sweet purple fruit, VA, and some alcohol on the nose. Juicy and ripe, but appealing acid/tannin. Not appealing: the hot finish. It won't win any awards for personality, either.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big bold fruit forward style. Lots of cassis and violet with a backbone of firm tannins. Drinking well but still quite youthful. Reminiscent of a southern Aussie Shiraz.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very dark wine. Aggressive and gorgeous aromatics. Dark berry flavors. There is a somewhat annoying acidic smell and taste that distracts me from really enjoying this wine right now... hopefully this will improve with time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a classic for the region. Garrigue and minerally on the nose with blackberry smells and black raspberry flavors Aggressive and gorgeous aromatics. Silky in the mouth with a long finish. What is not to love?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
BYOB Dinner with Friends (Liberty Private Works Private Kitchen in Hong Kong): Opened for about 90 minutes but needed more air. Inky purple dark core with a rubyesque edge. Medium nose showing notes of tar, earth and ripe red fruits. Raspberry, earth on the palate with ridiculously long finish. Will want to try in a few years perhaps.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not ready to drink yet. It is very dense, and has a deep red fruit taste, with the Carignan structure and airiness. The question is if it will integrate as it grows older.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop n pour. Vivid aromatics of earth and fruit upon opening. Once in the glass, the nose takes it up a notch with perfumed raspberry, garrigue and mineral essence flanked by meat and spice. The palate is a thing of beauty, with a tightly focused acid core creating a perfect tension with fruit and tannin. Each glass is better than the one before it. Medium toward full body. Very fine grained tannins. Great harmony, long, long finish. Drink thru 2019, approx $30, 14,5% abv, recommended +
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
11/21/2021 - alpha_ori Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark, intense, massive without feeling oppressive. Bing cherry mixed with a powerful loamy, earthy character. Very distinctive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2020 - Grenik Likes this wine: 91 Points
Last tasted in 2011. This was a very nice wine that has rewarded proper aging. Blue fruit and floral notes on the nose. Boysenberry on the palate with supporting spice and forest notes. A solid and intriguing wine, but lacking a bit in depth and presence. Moderate acidity with a medium finish. Excellent QPR. I do not think the wine will develop much additional depth with extra cellaring, but they should last a few more years without a problem.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2018 - Winiac wrote: 92 Points
Dark with bluish hue. Lucious and concentrated. Still has tannins that make me believe it can age another 5-6 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2018 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
Clos Del Rey top vintages side-by-side: '04 vs '07: Potent with fire pit smoke and lots of almost-syrupy fruit. Delicious yes, but clumsy next to the 2007.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2018 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
Dark and decent with earthy fruit that plays in each clef; plush, smooth, and gently driven. Great to drink now -2023
If you like this, check out the gorgeous 2007.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2017 - cliffkol wrote: 92 Points
Floral, well balanced, smooth tannins, elegant, dark fruits, slight oak, leather. Medium length. At 13 years, this inexpensive wine is really drinking beautifully.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/4/2017 - cliffkol wrote: 85 Points
Too acidic with alcoholic aromas. Calmed down some with time but still alcoholic fumes. These bottles have been inconsistent with some excellent and some not. This one was not.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2016 - cliffkol wrote: 93 Points
Still going strong and only getting better. Deep concentrated flavors. Structured, mouth filling tannins, chewy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2016 - cliffkol wrote: 92 Points
concentrated, blue fruits, leather, spices, elegant, silky. Soft tannins. WOTN
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2015 - cliffkol wrote: 91 Points
Spot on! Great!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/14/2015 - cliffkol wrote: 88 Points
acidic, concentrated fruits. Drink now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2015 - cliffkol wrote: 85 Points
Uh Oh. Too old? acidic, thin. Hopefully next bottle will be as expected.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2015 - soyhead wrote:
nose - juicy sour fruit, earthy
mouth - lively fruit forward and quite acidic/sour, which was pefect for food, though made it a tougher stand alone wine.
for me the 2007 clos del rey is the benchmark.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2015 - cliffkol wrote: 90 Points
I purchased a case of this wine in early 2015. We enjoyed thoroughly in prior years. The bottle needed severe decanting though; it was loaded with sentiment and I used cheese cloth to double decant. After decanting this was a really nice wine. Deep, luscious flavors of dark berries and earth with silky tannins. A touch of acidity seems to signal that we should drink everything by the end of 2015.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2015 - NineteenEightyTwo Does not like this wine: 70 Points
Opaque rosewood color. This is a big, oaky, vanilla-saturated fruit bomb on both the nose and the palate. I'm usually not too prissy about a wine being a bit "internationally" styled, but this is preposterous; the wine is totally unbalanced and aggressive. The palate tastes like jammy acetone, as though someone dumped a bottle of nail polish remover into a bucket of grape juice. My remaining two bottles will be "gifted" to people I loathe. Drink never.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
11/29/2014 - pomelo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Très belle bouteille. Explosion de fruits noirs. Structure imposante. Belle longueur. Sûrement parmi les meilleurs vins de l'appellation.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2013 - cliffkol wrote: 93 Points
matured wonderfully. Concentrated, dark fruits. Silky, elegant tannins. A great bargain and QPR. Jerry loved this wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/19/2013 - jpwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
6 tasted--all liked it. Very drinkable--great value. Conswumed at Black lake.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2013 - cliffkol wrote: 92 Points
a big wine, thick, fruity, not quite jammy. Well integrated tannins, big but velvety.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2013 - Winevestor wrote: 90 Points
Stewed blueberry on the nose. Had over two days. Much better on the first day. This is ready to drink. Thick and jammy. A well made wine, but one with a fair amount of winemaker intervention. Good structure. Long finish
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2012 - Doni.Bertolami wrote: 92 Points
Blue and blackberries, truffles, licorice and pepper. Balanced and perfectly ready now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2012 - bullmrkt wrote: 90 Points
Smooth dark fruits and gamey meat. Yum.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2012 - jcbrand wrote: 92 Points
concentrated, meaty, structured, blackberry
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2012 - cliffkol wrote: 91 Points
Dark, brooding, thick and concentrated. Dark purple. Impressive. Dark fruits plums, almost jammy, but soft tannins keep it well balanced and tasty. Earthy and long, fruity finish. Got better after being opened an hour. Big hit with Steve M. and Bob.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2012 - xcblazer10 wrote: 90 Points
Bold. I would buy this again.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2012 - G_H Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice classic Shiraz based wine, great balance, nice power, beautiful blue berries and plum. Mixed spices
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2012 - lee.reiswig wrote: 89 Points
Powerful, inky, tannic and a bit bitter on opening. Better after an hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2012 - cliffkol wrote: 89 Points
Red fruits, minerals, earth, smoke. Dark purple, viscous and chewy. Needed 2 hrs decant and then was very enjoyable. Nothing spectacular, and would have enjoyed it more if cost was under $28.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2011 - xcblazer10 wrote: 90 Points
Blackberry jam smell. Lots of minerality in the taste. Very enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2011 - maxima wrote: 85 Points
Majorité de Carignan 80%), Grenache et Syrah complète!
Nez qui picotte, ça sent l'alcool à plein...il titre 16.2%!!!
En bouche, un peu guidoune et sucré, amertume en millieu de bouche.
Longueur apréciable mais sur la chauffe!
Très ordinaire en ce moment et ne mérite pas le 94 de Parker!
PS: Certain mentionne un temps en carafe d'au moins 5 heures pour l'assagir, celui-ci a été un POP N POUR malheureusement!
Voici ce qu'en dit
David Schildknecht
June 2009
"The 2004 Cotes du Roussillon Clos del Rey is 80% Carignan (the rest, again, Grenache) and even more darkly-hued in flavor than its 2006 counterpart. Roasted meats, toasted nuts, and concentrated yet fresh blackberry are mingled with iodine and crushed stone and there are savory, saline, meaty, and peaty dimensions to the finish – which practically comes barreling at you – that take one far from considerations of fruits and berries. Even more than with the 2006, one has to emphasize that not only is there nothing superficial, there is in fact a certain handsome austerity to this wine, an uncompromising tribute to an underdog among grapes and to the amazing terroirs of Maury. I hope to have a chance to revisit it 8-10 years from now. "
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2011 - dekay wrote: 90 Points
Dark and still quite powerful with a tannic, bitter edge. Needs air to calm down, and I would recommend waiting a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2011 - StefanAkiko wrote: 93 Points
Firm, tannic, concentrated and opening up well. A complete, rewarding, fulfilling wine. Fruitiness and sumi ink with barrels, several things from the forrest and farm yard. Full bodied and still a little "grim". Brings together ALL the best aspects of the classic style with that of the modern. This wine is aiming for the stars. Will give pleasure to both modernists and traditionalists :-)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2011 - soyhead wrote: 92 Points
nose - spice, dark fruit
mouth - dark fruit with a spiced twist, prominent oak influence, overall a big wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2011 - ezsobre wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for an hour and drank over three hours. Tight and hostile at first, with lots of tannins. Smelled of purple bubble gum and cloying elements. Smoothed out over the course of the evening. Nose remained somewhat sweet, with earthy qualities. On the palate, chewy and savory elements, mineral balance, sweetish tannins, with a long, spice and pepper-laden finish. No fruity or floral elements. Enjoyable once it settled down.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2010 - mmcdds wrote: 89 Points
Big and burly with alot of forward cassis, garrigue and a peppery finish. The tannins seem to have integrated well at this stage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2010 - Grenik wrote: 91 Points
Decanted. Very interesting wine. Deep purple color. Intense and no evidence from the color of its age. Nose took some time to develop, but eventually it did. Earthy nose, sort of woody. Taste for me is better defined by what it is not. No big fruit, no floral notes, but sweet in a way. Mineral tastes, but most of all, very balanced. Each flavor transitions smoothly to the next. Acidity is there and there is still nice structure to allow additional aging , IMHO. Wonderful finish. More of a wine to sit and study than to serve with a meal. I think I need another bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2010 - rhit wrote:
Sweet purple fruit, VA, and some alcohol on the nose. Juicy and ripe, but appealing acid/tannin. Not appealing: the hot finish. It won't win any awards for personality, either.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2010 - mmcdds wrote: 90 Points
Big bold fruit forward style. Lots of cassis and violet with a backbone of firm tannins. Drinking well but still quite youthful. Reminiscent of a southern Aussie Shiraz.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2010 - europat55 wrote: 87 Points
Very dark wine. Aggressive and gorgeous aromatics. Dark berry flavors. There is a somewhat annoying acidic smell and taste that distracts me from really enjoying this wine right now... hopefully this will improve with time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/18/2010 - randyjc wrote: 92 Points
This is a classic for the region. Garrigue and minerally on the nose with blackberry smells and black raspberry flavors Aggressive and gorgeous aromatics. Silky in the mouth with a long finish. What is not to love?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2010 - GOL wrote:
Drinking well, but didn't hold up 2nd night suggests it is at peak
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2010 - vumansky wrote: 90 Points
BYOB Dinner with Friends (Liberty Private Works Private Kitchen in Hong Kong): Opened for about 90 minutes but needed more air. Inky purple dark core with a rubyesque edge. Medium nose showing notes of tar, earth and ripe red fruits. Raspberry, earth on the palate with ridiculously long finish. Will want to try in a few years perhaps.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2010 - Winevestor wrote: 91 Points
Not ready to drink yet. It is very dense, and has a deep red fruit taste, with the Carignan structure and airiness. The question is if it will integrate as it grows older.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2010 - cmlee7 wrote:
massive purple fruit w/ big tannin despite being 6 yrs old. unctuous, dense but not syruppy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2010 - WineScoundrel wrote: 93 Points
QPR, Baby!!!!!!!!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2010 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Pop n pour. Vivid aromatics of earth and fruit upon opening. Once in the glass, the nose takes it up a notch with perfumed raspberry, garrigue and mineral essence flanked by meat and spice. The palate is a thing of beauty, with a tightly focused acid core creating a perfect tension with fruit and tannin. Each glass is better than the one before it. Medium toward full body. Very fine grained tannins. Great harmony, long, long finish. Drink thru 2019, approx $30, 14,5% abv, recommended +
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment